Tags
Body Image, Cindy Crawford, Health, Judeo-Christian, Kate Upton, Models, Sports Illustrated, World Health Organization
I’ve been thinking of what i’ll write next for couple of days now; i wanted to cover erotic novels as a genre – following the worldwide infatuation with James’ “Fifty Shades of Grey”- with digressions on Umberto Ecco’s subversive power of laughter concept, but truth to be told, my mind is actually busy with one way more trivial topic…
It’s the Kate Upton’s ‘case’ and the bashing she got at skinnygossip forum: http://www.skinnygossip.com/kate-upton-is-well-marbled/
I spent hours at the forum, trying to figure out what is it exactly – and i wouldn’t say it is pro-ana (promoting anorexia), at least not openly; it seems that many members there are models or else working within fashion industry and, well, it’s within their job description to be thin… Or is it?
The unflattering picture of Kate Upton seem to negate it.
In these parts traditionally measures for a beauty peagent contestant are 90-60-90 cm ( i am not sure what is i tin inches) and even less than that for models.
My personal favorite is Croatian model Petra Friganovic:
Petra is also a dear friend of mine and i do know she leads a very healthy and proactive lifestyle; i met Petra’s mother who – in her mid fifties – is also stunning – and quite thin too.
A lot of it indeed comes genetically (i am not that lucky) albeit truth is that pigging out on junk food and sedentary life style will ruin any figure, sooner or later.
Here is another of my favorites – a classical Mediterranean beauty, the drop-dead gorgeous Jelena Milic, Montenegrin contestant at Miss All Nations peagent in Nanjing 2011:
My own role model at the time was Cindy Crawford – i used to do her DVD work outs and all in all was inspired bur her toned and defined figure; back then (in 90ies) super models looked healthy and slim.
Too thin models are not to my taste but with standards we have here, albeit myself i am far from being thin, it is difficult for me to see Kate Upton as a “model”. A sensual woman -sure, attractive too, but a model (let alone the size) with cellulite and love handles… not really.
Of course, the controversial blog entry at skinnygossip is a gross exaggeration, but still – if one’s job is to model and they are highly paid for it, isn’t it unprofessional not to keep in shape? I don’t think Kate Upton should lose weight, but it does seem she needs to exercise – and badly so.
Anyway, i did cast I Ching on all this size obsession, and here is what i got:
51. Arousal, Thunder, moving lines 1,3,5,6 , changing to 33. Retreat/ Save your bacon
I Ching is endlessly deep – Hexagram 51. does actually indicate sexual arousal among zillion other things, it’s also about shock and laughter… and totally missing the point, it’s a warning too.
Six at the top means:
Shock brings ruin and terrified gazing around.
Going ahead brings misfortune.
If it has not yet touched one’s own body
But has reached one’s neighbor first,
There is no blame.
One’s comrades have something to talk about.*
When inner shock is at its height, it robs a man of reflection and clarity of vision.
In such a state of shock it is of course impossible to act with presence of mind.
Then the right thing is to keep still until composure and clarity are restored.
But this a man can do only when he himself is not yet infected by the agitation,
although its disastrous effects are already visible in those around him.
If he withdraws from the affair in time, he remains free of mistakes and injury.
But his comrades, who no longer heed any warning, will in their excitement
certainly be displeased with him. However, he must not take this into account.
(Wilhelm’s translation)
I just laughed out loud at this line: One’s comrades have something to talk about, for it seems to be literally referring to the skinnygossip forum!
It is interesting that all the media uproar is due to an anonymously posted blog entry; if we go by the distinguishing between important and unimportant rule – which presumably shapes the human intelligence – why does it matter at all? It’s not a statement by World Health Organization or a FDA guidance, it’s merely – a gossip, yet NYDaily features article on it and so does Elle and Yahoo and pretty much everyone else.
It’s a thing to boost the hits&ratings i guess, while obsessing over “celebrities” long ago became the most wide spread form of idolatry – albeit it’s presumably a no-go within Judeo-Christian tradition…
The Chinese character for Hexagram 33, Dùn , is pig (1) + meat (2) , which is a suckling pig, one raised to be eaten; again – tongue in cheek given that we are discussing fat tissue here!`
(image adopted from YiJing, Oracle of the Sun by LiSe Heyboer http://www.yijing.nl/)
If seriously, the nuclear Hexagram of 33 is 44 – Heir/GÒU; in the Judgment of hexagram 44 it is said that the woman is zhuang 壯, a word only used with men or boys. In the sixth line we have a girl wearing the hairstyle of a boy. The picture we get from this is that of a Mulan, a girl who behaves like a boy, which (in ancient Chinese culture) of course is highly impropriate.
The next Hexagram – 34 – is DÀ ZHUÀNG, Power or Strength.
All in all, it does seem that the epoch of pre-puberty boy-like thin models is over and that a healthier and stronger looks will be promoted from now on – to that i say Amen!
But, no love handles and suckling piglets, please!
Hexagram 33, YiJing, Oracle of the Sun by LiSe Heyboer http://www.yijing.nl/i_ching/hex_33-48/hex_e_33.htm
Petra’s picture snatched from: http://www.fashion.hr/user_galleries/gallery/petra-friganovic/
Miss All Nations portal http://missosology.info/forum/viewtopic.php?f=7&t=109468&start=60
NYDaily article: http://articles.nydailynews.com/2012-07-12/news/32652175_1_carina-cruz-kate-upton-teen-protesters
Elle: http://www.elle.com/news/culture/skinny-gossip-site-trashes-kate-upton-curves
Mulan in the Yi Jing: http://www.i-tjingcentrum.nl/serendipity/archives/56-A-Mulan-in-the-Yijing.html
moderndayruth 
I think Kate looks great.
Thanks for commenting Hildegerd! She is awesome, but she should work out – she is too young and more so – she’s a swimwear model, i think she does need to tone her body.
Lena –
I have to agree – Kate does not look in good shape. I also feel that as a model she has a responsibility to be fit and look her best. Thin to the point of anorexia models are not ideal, but out of shape ones don’t represent anyone well.
Off my soap box! 😉
Blessings,
Bonnie
I agree, Bonnie! I mean, she is young and beautiful – and it’s not that she is a single mom who is commuting daily by public transportation to two jobs – she has the time and the means, so working out 1h a day is i guess the least she can do!
Well, as an artists modell, I actually do not see the problem.
Because, if the designers can’t creative clothes for people who is not tall and skinny, then they are useless in what they do.
————–
No, that’s BS that they can’t make clothes for anyone above size 00, please! I think the difference between art model and fashion model is that in art you see proportional bodies – no matter which size (actually, one of the most beautiful women i know is UK size 20) – and art models are usually uniquely beautiful; for fashion models there is a norm – the height, the weight, all of it; i personally don’t like seeing swimwear on a flubby body on a runaway, which is, it’s not the size that i don’t like about Kate, it’s that she is surprisingly NOT fit for her profession and age. See what i mean?
Understand what you mean, but….
Went over to that SkinnyGossip site and what a bunch of nasty freaks….
Too judgmental and mean to my taste – i mean, starve yourself (generic yourself) if you’d like – you are in your right to do so, i personally couldn’t care less, but let others be as they like too, don’t project your issues on them, right? I think Elle’s Lauren Levinson puts it the best: Seems like someone is super hangry (hungry + angry) and jealous of another 20-year-old model’s major success. 😉
Yikes! Serious critism here of curves, but backed with some excellent metalanguage which will now decipher! Surely curves are not ALL bad?
Lol, i hope they aren’t (ALL bad), because i have them – but don’t you think curves and love handles & cellulite shan’t be used interchangeably?
I call it dance handles.
They are super handy on the dance floor.
Lol! 😀
I read it, Then read the comments.. (only the comments on moderndayruth)
Maybe I should keep my mouth shut, lol, however:
I do like what you said … “obsessing over celebrities…..”
Well being somewhat involved in this area ( to a degree) I would like to consider the lady’s point of view… they want to to be considered pretty or feel they are wanted & belong (for whatever the reasons) some will do do anything to stay skinny..because.. that’s what the west has conditioned them to think that “that is what pretty is” through all types of media (not sure what goes on in the east) ….. however where does this conditioning come from? and why?
From Big Business? (to me it is not good business ethics, it is greed & ignorance)
They won’t eat, they’ll take drugs, they’ll jog for miles every day etc etc… end result, they look sick, & like they need a good feed… which is sad.
This can/does go for men too.
Without sounding like a religious zealot, I think the body is a temple & should be treated as such, this also includes the mind (he says after eating loads of chocolate last night,lol,) … “balance & effort?”… that’s really easy to say, not do.
However I have worked with pretty young ladies who have developed a genuine body dismorphia, even to the point of suicide for a couple of them who thought, no not thought, they saw themselves… ‘only’ as fat & ugly (which no-one else did)…sad? or a sad reflection of all this celebrity media frenzy?
Not everyone can grow to a certain height/shape yadayada.. though they can, sickness forebid… be strong & powerful women of mind & body.
What if there were no mirrors? (metaphorically thinking)
Would we see projections instead of reflections?
I doubt it.
Amen to all that you said, Jim! You are right – the more i read threads at that site – the more i realized it’s a religion to them, some kind of twisted asceticism… There is one contemporary feminist (i can’t remember the name right now) who claims the thinness became hot when women got all the rights, so that was the way to keep them in obedience… I am not sure it’s 100% true, but there is something about it… and East is even worse, most of those starved models that you see are Eastern European actually 😦
My body as a temple…
That does not work for me either, I am too fond of wine and beer.
Hildegerd, no probs with either in Judeo-Christian tradition! 😉
But since lurking on Skinny Gossip has made me real hungry, I plan for a brilliant indian butterchicken dinner tomorrow.
Nothing wrong with butterchicken & plenty of veggies as a side; but if there is too much carbs added- like mashed potatoes, bread etc. with it, then it’s unhealthy/fattening 😦
Like I care.
oh, well, ok then 🙂
You have no idea what you’re talking about. Kate Upton most likely already works out. You cannot get rid of cellulite by simply working out as there are people with 13% or less body fat who have cellulite. Kate Moss has cellulite.
I think most of the hatred towards Upton is driven by jealousy. Her body shape is ideal and the fact that she has naturally lean arms and legs and a non-muscular feminine shape is enviable. Yes, models tend to have a rather tight and slim body but they are certainly lacking in an area in which Kate isn’t.
Thanks for stopping by and commenting, Lo 🙂
Usually in inches it is 36-24-36 . I Ching and Kate Upton in one blog post – it is a funny mix of the pedestrian and the esoteric! Before, I was not impressed by Kate Upton – until I saw an interview she did a while ago on American talk show, “Jimmy Kimmel Live” – she was bubbly, funny, had an actual personality–and then I saw the attraction some have for her. She does appear to have a low amount of muscle tone…
What the hell is wrong with this world and the writer of this article? Kate Upton is thin. She has natural curves. She doesn’t need to work out. That is just her body shape. Unless she is emaciated, she won’t lose the curvy shape of her body. And many models have cellulite. This doesn’t mean they are fat. They are just human. Cellulite is seen on fat and thing women alike.